University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
9-1
Georgetown
4-4
Wagner Scores 31 in Win over Hoyas
12/7/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Carlie Wagner scored a season-high 31 points as the Golden Gophers picked up a 73-63 win at Georgetown. Wagner shot 12-of-14 from the field, including a 7-for-8 night behind the 3-point arc.
Kenisha Bell added 21 points and four steals as Minnesota (9-1) pulled away in the second half after trailing the Hoyas (4-4) by one at halftime. Minnesota is one of only two remaining one-loss teams in the Big Ten and is off to its best 10-game start since Marlene Stollings' first season, 2014-15.
The Gophers shot a season-best 52.6 percent for the game, including an 18-for-25 (72 percent) second half. After being outrebounded 29-18 and allowing eight second-chance points in the first half, they had a 15-12 advantage on the glass in the second half. Fast break points were a strength for the Gophers, as they had 16 points in transition.
Wagner moved into second place on the Gophers' career 3-pointer list. With 232, she passed Shannon Schonrock and is behind only Rachel Banham (354).
Dionna White led the Hoyas with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Mikayla Venson had 17 points, including four 3-pointers, and Yazmine Belk had a game-high 11 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter: Wagner scored 13 points, including three 3-pointers, in the first. Minnesota built a pair of seven-point leads, first going up 12-5 on a Bell layup at the 6:34 mark. The Hoyas trimmed that lead to 14-13 before a Wagner 3-pointer opened a 7-0 run. Georgetown cut it to 22-18 after the first. The Gophers were 8-for-14 from the field in the quarter.
Second Quarter: Both teams' shooting went cold in the second quarter, as Minnesota went 4-of-18 and Georgetown 4-of-15. The Hoyas led 31-30 going into halftime, on the strength of a 29-18 rebounding advantage and eight second-chance points.
Third Quarter: The teams traded leads for most of the third, until the Gophers ended the quarter on a Wagner-led surge. The senior guard poured in 15 points in the third, including three 3-pointers, as the Gophers took a 54-43 lead.
Fourth Quarter: Minnesota's lead never dipped below nine points in the fourth. Bell had 10 of her points during the final frame to help hold the lead.
MORE NOTES
*Wagner has five career 30-point games.
*Minnesota has shot 50 percent or better three times this season.
*Gadiva Hubbard led the team with six assists, and Jessie Edwards had a team-high seven rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Gophers will next travel to play at San Diego on Sunday, Dec. 10. The game will start at 2:30 p.m. CT. Minnesota's next home game will be Wednesday, Dec. 13 against Cal Poly.
